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Dual video cards?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
I'm window shopping for a new laptop. For video card options the one I'm looking at offers the GeForce GTX 485m (2GB). I'm guessing STO would run well with it. But, I have the option of having dual video cards. Would STO support it? STO is the most graphics intense application I would be running. Would one card be enough?
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  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    bringram wrote: »
    I'm window shopping for a new laptop. For video card options the one I'm looking at offers the GeForce GTX 485m (2GB). I'm guessing STO would run well with it. But, I have the option of having dual video cards. Would STO support it? STO is the most graphics intense application I would be running. Would one card be enough?

    Not to worry you, but there is a known issue with the higher end Nvidia cards. If you run shadows at anything other than low, there is a stuttering effect. The nvidia documentation describes it as the game pausing on and off.

    I have an Nvidia 460 and love it. The issue completely goes away if you set the shadows to low. I run everything but shadows maxed out and it as smooth as butter at 1920 x 1080 on a 40 inch samsung monitor.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    boglejam wrote: »
    Not to worry you, but there is a known issue with the higher end Nvidia cards. If you run shadows at anything other than low, there is a stuttering effect. The nvidia documentation describes it as the game pausing on and off.

    I have an Nvidia 460 and love it. The issue completely goes away if you set the shadows to low. I run everything but shadows maxed out and it as smooth as butter at 1920 x 1080 on a 40 inch samsung monitor.

    Thanks, I'd heard about the shadow thing. So one card would be enough?
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    bringram wrote: »
    Thanks, I'd heard about the shadow thing. So one card would be enough?

    With a highend card, I'm not sure you'd get much benefit from SLI. I don't really know how hard the GPU is being pushed currently so its hard to judge.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    One gtx 485m is fine. I wouldnt reccomend a SLI setup in a laptop just for the simple facts of heat and power cumsumption. I know with my laptop with a 485m gtx its gets pretty hot while i play STO. I could just imagine how 2 would be.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    Thanks for the info guys. Sounds like 2 cards in a laptop is overkill.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    I have an older NVIDIA, and once I turned down the shadows everything runs great.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited May 2011
    This M1730 I use has 2 9800M GTX in SLI, the cards really extend the laptops life cycle for gaming IMO. It's several years old and I'm still happy with it. Stick a Zalman cooler under it and no heat probs. ZM NC2000 is what I have.
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